Hot-air-supply means for internal-combustion engines.



.1. BRACKENY. HOT AIR SUPPLY MEANS FOR INTERNAL CGNIBUSTION ENGINES.'

` APPLICATiON FILED AUGJ. 1914-.

Pateted June l5, 1915.

Fill .$12.

WILLIAM J. BRACKEN,,.OF ZION CITY', ILLINOIS.

HOT-AIR-SUPPLY MENS FOB INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specication of Letters Patent,

Patented J une 15, 1915.

Application led August 7, 1914. Serial No, 855,679.

To all whom it may concern f Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. BRACKEN,

a subject of the King of Great Britain, iey siding at Zion City, in the county of Lake and State of illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hot-Air- Supply Means for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for supplying heated air into the manifold pipe of an internal combustion engine orA into the cylinder or cylinders thereof; in the presence of a more or less vaporized hydrocarbon fuel, for the purpose of'eifecting an intimate mixture Vof the vaporized hydrocarbon fuel andsthe heated air, to produce an explosive charge of high efficiency.

An important object of the invention is to provide apparatus ofthe above mentioned character, which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and maybe conveniently adjusted for varying the amounts of heated air to be supplied to the gas or va-porized hydrocarbon fuel, at or before the time that the same enters thecylinder or cylinders of the engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide means of the above mentioned chai acter, formed of few and simple parts which may be, readily assembled and separated,

rendering it convenient to clean or repair the same. i

Otheruobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

ln the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to ldesignate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view through aparatus embodying ni Y invention Fig. 2 is ay horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the lower screw-threaded eX- tension of the relatively stationary shellmember, and.v Fi 4 is a transverse sectional view through i hot air supply casing, associated elements being shown in elevation.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates the manifold pipe of an internal combastion engine, preferably provided iyith an upstanding internally screw-threade; cou* pling element 6, fora purpose to be described.

My apparatus comprises a preferably c'y` lindrical longitudinally extensible shell or casing 7, embodying relatively movable cupshaped shell-members S and 9, as shown. The shell-member S preferably telescopes the shelhmember 9, and is relatively stationary while the shell-member 9 is capable of moving longitudinally of the shell-meniber S, as is obvious. The lower end o f the shell-member S is closed by a head or end 10, provided with the outlet port or passage 11, passing through Si' reduced tubular extension'lQ, which is externally screw-threaded for engagement with the screw-threads'of the coupling member G, as shown. The upper end of the shellmember 9 is closed by a head or end-12', provided with a reduced tubular screw-threaded extension 13,

adapted for connection with an elbow 14, as shown.

Secured to the lower end of the tubular extension 12 is a conical or tapered perforated nozzle` l5, extending into the manifold pipe 5 and decreasing in diameter dowiiwardly.' This nozzle is formed of foruminous material, preferably wire gauze. The function of providing this tapered nozzle formed of wire gauze, is to spray the hot air fintoithe; manifold pipe, in the presence of the more or less vaporized hydrocarbon fuel, whereby an intimate mixture of the vaporized hydrocarbon fuel and the air is obtained. rlhe nozzle 15 is secured to the reduced extension 12 by any suitable means, i by having a portion of the material of this nozzle extending into an annular groove formed upon the exterior ofthe tubular extension 1Q and bound or tied therein by an annulus 1G or the like, as shown.

Formed upon the inner surface of the end or head 10 is a conccntrically arranged cage 17, preferably cast integral therewith. This cage is preferably cylindrical and is provided in its side wall with openings 1S, to permit of the free passage of the heated air into the port or passage l1. The top of this cage 1T is formed closed and is preferably Serine 22 as shown. Mounted to reciprocate upon the Vguide rod '20 is an upwardly seating valve 2l.l urged upwardly by a compressible and expansible coil vspring 22, preferabi)v tapered or .conical and increasing in .liaineter upwardly. This coil spring surrounds the guide rod with its upper large end fitting within and held by a depending annular flange '23 formed upon the valve :21. while the lower small end of the coil spring engages the, cage 17 and surrounds the boss 19, to bc'lield thereby against displacement. The vfalve 2l engages the inner Eraflined face 24 ofthe head or end 12', as a seat. l

Surrounding the tubular extensions l2 and 13 of the sli'ellvmeinbers are apertuied preferably triangular. plates 25 and 26, preferably provided at their corners with openings 27, foi" 'receiving the hooked ends of retractile coilf' spiings 2S, preferably three in nuinbei'. j The combined strength of the -retractile roil springs 2S is sufficient to compress or overcome the expansible coil spring to place the same under the desired tension, whereby the valve 2l will open upon different degrees of suction within the cylinder or cylinders of the engine.

Means are provided to raise and lowerthe upper casing-member with relation to the other casing-member, whereby the tension of the springs QS upon the valve 21 and. the corresponding compression of the will be reduced, varied, or removed. Such means preferably includes a link 29 secured to the elbow 1l by a. ineinber 30. Any suitable means may be einployed .to move the link 29 longitudinally or up or down, such as a hand operated lever or a foot pedal. As such devices are well known in the artsit is deemed unnecessaryto show the same.

The elbow 14 is preferably provided with 'a cold'or freshair inlet 3l, covered by a ball-valve 3Q, held in place by means of a leaf spring 33 or the like, as shown.

Heated or hot air is supplied into the apparatus through a flexible pipe or con.- duit 34, connected with a hot aii` container 35,- through the medium of a coupling 36 or the like.' This hot air container sur-v rounds a portion of the exhaust pipe 37,

as more clearly illustrated'in Fig. 4. The opposite ends'of this hota'ir container 35 are preferably closed by rings 38 snugly receiving the exhaust pipe 37. Thev air is admitted into the container lby opening or openings 39, of'suitable size, which are coveredfby spherical perforated or foi-aminoiismeinbers 40, preferably formed of Wire gauze. This member is heldin place 4bya leaf spring 41 or the like.' .The function 0f theineinbers and is,t0 strain theair Vpreventing dust and the like from entering the. apparatus.

'lovfsr--The engine is started inthe usual manner, and when it is desired to supply hot Vair to the intake manifold or cylinder or cylinders thereof,v the casing-member 9 is elevated, the amount of hot air supplied being regulated by the distance that this oasing-member is raised. Then the engine is running, the suction in the cylinder or cylinders thereof automatically unseats the valve 21, suclivalve automatically returning to its seat to prevent products of combustion or the liketpassing into the coupling ll. lt is obvious that hotair may be supplied to the cylinder or c vliiulcrs, at different degreesof vacuum therein, by raising or lowering the casing-member 9 with the result that the tension of the springs QS is removed from the valve'Ql and spring Q2. The hot air passing through the tapered nozzle 15 is sprayed, in the presence of more or less of the vaporized hydrocarbon fuel,

thus serving to effect a more thorough. vaporization of the saine and intimate inix ture thereof with the hot air.

While I have shown and described my :ip-

'paratus as connected with the intake inanithe saine, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts -may be resorted to without depart-.ing ,from the' spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the inventioinl claiinzl. ln apparatus of the character described, a longitudinally extensible shell, a A

valve engaging a portion oi' the shell to control the inlet of air into the same, yielding means to oppose the movement of the valve in one direction, yielding means to automatically contract the longitudinally extensible shell upon a portion thereof being released, andineans to extend the shell.

ln apparatus of the character described, a longitudinally extensible shell provided at one end with an inlet opening, a valve arranged within the shell to engage the saine adjacent the opening to close the opening, a spring to urge the lvalve toward its closed position, yielding means to automatically contract' thelongitudinally exten-Y sible she'll upon'a portion thereof being'released and being stronger than the spring,A

and nieanstofextendthe longitudinally ex- .tensible shellj.

3. Iii-"apparatus of, the character .def

scribed, affpluralit-y of freely .relatively re-v ciprocatory "telescoping shell-members, a valve arrange-d witlnnone shell-member to engage'theJ end thei'eotl to control the pasinaaei v y the shell-member, andU means te reciprocate lone shell-member with relationto the ,other Without turning the same 'upon'` its longitv -Y ldinal axis.

4C. ln apparatusV of the character described, a plurality of telescoping shellmembers, a. movable valve arranged Within one shell-memberto control the passage of air into the same, aspring. engaging the valve to oppose its movement in one direction, a retractile coil spring extending longitudinally of the telescoping shell members and connecting the same to automatically move one' shell member inwardly upon `the same being released, and means to move suoli shell member outwardly in opposition to the spring.

5. ln apparatus of the character described, a shell, a member movable longitudinally with relation to the shell and serving to close one 'end thereof and having an inletopening, a valve adapted to engage the member and closetlieinlet opening, a spring to move the valve into engagement with the member, a spring' to automatically move the member longitudinally in one direction upon the same being released, and

separate means to move the member longitudinally in an opposite `direction in opposition to the second named spring.

, 6. ln apparatus of the character described, a relatively stationary sliell-mem ber having ,one end open and the opposite end provided with a head having an opening and an apertnred cage, a co-acting shellmember having one end provided with an inlet opening and its opposite end slidablyl engaging the relatively stationary shellmember, a valve rod secured to the aperftured cage and extending longitudinally Kwithin the shellmembers, a valve slidably Vmounted. upon the valve rod and engaging the apertured end of the co-acting shellmember, a coil spring surrounding the valve rod and engaging the valve, retractile coil springs connecting the shell-members, and means to move the coacting shell-member with relation to the relatively stationary shell-member and in opposition to the re'- tractile coil springs.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a relatively stationary sheD-member having one end open and the opposite end provided With a head having an outlet opening and an apertured cage, a cio-acting shellmember having one end provided vvitli lan inlet opening and its opposite end slidably engaging the relatively stationary shellmember, a valve rod secured to the apertured cage and extending longitudinally Within the shell-members, a valve slidably mounted upon the valve rod to engage the apertured end of the cci-acting shell-mem ber, plates connected with Ithe opposite ends of the shell-members, retractile coil springs connecting the plates, and means to move the (3o-acting shell-member iI a direction in opposition te the vretractile coil spring.

lnztestimony whereof l aii'ix my signe-ture in presencev of two Witnesss.

WllJLlAll/l 5. BRAKEN,

lVitnesses:

-Frnnn MARVIN, J. L. lfvrrmnnen. 

